Foundation repair. To do it yourself or not to do it yourself. That is the question.
Even us, every now and then, have posted about DIY projects that you can do to protect your house and foundation from possible damage. And while things like soaker hoses, repairing thin wall cracks and the likes can always help with prevention and/or aesthetic issues the bottom line is that foundation repair is a job that should be done by professionals.
And of course, you might say: ‘Of course, they want to sell the services!’ Well, yes. But that is not the reason why we are adamant that for foundation issues you call the experts. We have always taken pride in our commitment to looking out for our costumers and their houses as our top priority. Heck, we even have a whole post about this, from the very words of one of our costumers.
Nowadays with the advent of social media and video hosting platforms easily accesible to every single one of us, as long as we have an internet connection, it is incredibly easy to find thousands upon thousands of video tutorials on DIY projects of all kinds, including of course, foundation repair. Now some people want to save some money, others just like doing things themselves or trying new things and new challenges to take on, or just to learn something new. This is certainly commendable and, dare we say it, the grand majority of us have tried to do this, regardless of what kind of project it is.
Talking about homes specifically, projects for yards and gardens, painting walls or installing floors, remodeling bathrooms or transforming a basement can be highly rewarding and can be turned into a great couple or family experience. Or even serve as a therapy. Most of these DIY projects for your home can be completed with little research or previous experience and with easy to find and affordable supplies.
Foundation repair, however is not one of these cases. This is a complex process that requieres lots of experience ‘on-the field’. Basic things like thin cracks repairs can be done easily (we even taught you how to do it) but correcting further damage, or foundation settling or leveling and stabilizing foundations are most definitely not DIY projects.
Often times DIY Foundation projects will cause even more damages to the foundation that there were before, and when a professional contractor finally gets to work, they will not only have to repair the original damage, but the one brought upon the attempted DIY repair as well. That is without even taking into account the money and time you already spent in trying the DIY repair. And not to mention that established contractors will provide warranties on the repairs.
Going back to the common signs to figure out if you have foundation problems: sloping floor, cracks, bowing walls, tilting chimneys, sticking windows and doors. All of these might point to foundation problems and all of these have to be addressed by trained personnel, who have the experience, equipment, know-how of how to perform the job and knowledge of the safety protocols to follow.
Also, most DIY attempt will actually just temporarily cover the issue instead of fixing it. It is fairly common to find that more concreted has been added, wood shims have been inserted and so on. And instead of lessening the settlement, they add weight to the foundation, making things even worse.
Maybe these reasons so far are not enough to convince you, so why shouldn’t you try to DIY?
Homeowners can easily recognize foundation issues. But recognizing if foundation failure is imminent? Only a structural engineer will be able to determine how serious the problems actually are. The experts, with their training and experience can differentiate between minor and major problems, effectively pinpointing the underlying cause and fixing it with the right solution.
Also keep in mind that foundations can make or break the value of your property. So why risk it?
You also have to be aware that very special equipment is needed to successfully achieve a foundation repair; equipment that you will not find at a convenience store. And even if you did, those are not gonna be cheap.
Safety regulations know how is essential to repair a foundation. Our experts have the know-how to handle both their own safety as well as the safety of your property, along with the proper equipment to ensure the integrity of both.
Not to mention that sometimes things are not as easy as they seem. While some problems might have a straightforward solution, others might require more complex solutions that may not be apparent to the untrained eye. This would be impossible to do by yourself without the experience, expertise and equipment that a professional contractor has.
In the very end, in spite of initial appearances, hiring the foundation experts will save you money and time. When hiring you will have the assurance that the job is performed properly and with will rest even more easy knowing that a real lifetime warranty comes included with our services.
Remember that your home might be one of the most valuable investments that you ever make and you want to make sure that it remains a healthy, safe and valuable place to live in. So gives a call to schedule a free inspection. You and your home will not regret it.